UP’s non-discrimination policy now includes gender identity after the Board of Regents voted to approve the change on March 3, according to an email from Director of Public Affairs Dan Christopherson.
The amended policy is effective immediately.
“Upon the conclusion of an evaluation process that spanned several years, the University of Portland Board of Regents has voted to add gender identity to the institution’s Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy,” Christopherson said. “As a Catholic Holy Cross institution, the University upholds the values of dignity, community, inquiry, ethics, engagement, and hope; advances the Catholic intellectual tradition and social teaching; and answers Blessed Basil Moreau’s call to ‘cross borders of every sort’ and see the face of Christ in all.”
Students have advocated for adding gender identity to the non-discrimination policy since 2013. During the Redefine Purple Pride movement, students, faculty and staff sought to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the non-discrimination policy. However, gender identity was ultimately omitted from the amended policy, and only sexual orientation was added.
In the last two years, student leaders have renewed their efforts to add gender identity to the non-discrimination policy after the passage of the Associated Students of the University of Portland’s (ASUP) resolution S.R. 23-24-002, which called on the administration to support and initiate the policy change, among other advocacy.
ASUP President Aidan Sanchez announced the change to the non-discrimination policy in the most recent Senate meeting, saying the inclusion of gender identity shows the University’s commitment to inclusivity.
“The addition of gender identity has been a yearslong effort that can be tracked all the way to 2013,” Sanchez said. “I am grateful for our administration for partnering with us and the Regents for trusting in us to achieve this goal.”
Kimberly Cortez is the Editor-in-Chief of The Beacon. They can be reached at cortez25@up.edu.
